Abu Dhabi: The Embassy of the Republic of Singapore in the UAE was pleased to gift a specially curated set of books from the Embassy and the National Library Board of Singapore to the libraries of the Department of Culture and Tourism – Abu Dhabi (DCT Abu Dhabi). The move comes within both parties’ endeavours to further strengthen the robust cultural ties, and training and education exchanges between Abu Dhabi and Singapore.

His Excellency Kamal R Vaswani, Singapore's Ambassador to the United Arab Emirates, handed over the gift of books to His Excellency Saood Al Hosani, Undersecretary of the DCT Abu Dhabi.  Through this initiative, the Embassy of the Republic of Singapore aims to expand its cultural exchanges with the Emirate of Abu Dhabi. The collection of books includes diverse books and publications that introduce the UAE readers to the Republic of Singapore, covering topics like governance, economic development, foreign policy, and history. Showcasing the soft side of Singapore, there are other collections on photography, design and architecture, as well as books on Singaporean food, an important part of Singapore’s multicultural identity.

H.E Ambassador Vaswani, explained that this gift is “another weave in a larger tapestry of people-to-people ties between both countries”. H.E. Ambasssador Vaswani stressed that Singapore looks forward to strengthening exchanges with DCT Abu Dhabi, which is doing tremendous work to enhance the cultural landscape. H.E Ambassador Vaswani added: “Looking to the future, we want to strengthen the personal ties between our youth. In support of this, we have included some children’s books to pique interest about Singapore. I look forward to these books being placed at the wonderful Abu Dhabi Libraries. The gift is also in support of the ongoing efforts in Abu Dhabi to promote a culture of reading and constant learning.”

Shaikha Al Muhairi, Library Management Department Director at DCT Abu Dhabi, lauded this cultural initiative, which is a testament to the convergence and cooperation of civilisations. “At DCT Abu Dhabi, we are keen to cooperate with cultural bodies around the world, in a way that promotes Abu Dhabi’s civilisational message and reflects the diversity and vitality of its cultural scene,” she stated.